


SASO 2015 Fill Collection: Bonus Round 2

by Kiriska



Category: Free!, Haikyuu!!, 弱虫ペダル | Yowamushi Pedal
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Challenge: Sports Anime Shipping Olympics | SASO 2015, F/M, Fluff, Gen, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, One Shot Collection, Platonic Relationships Not Tagged, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-04-06 18:41:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 10,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4232625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiriska/pseuds/Kiriska
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Drabble collection for SASO 2015 bonus round #2, where the theme was "AUs." The prompt for each fill is given at the beginning of each chapter, which is titled with the relationship, rating, and general AU. Additional warnings given in chapter notes, if applicable.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Onoda & Imaizumi (situational "AU", G)

**Author's Note:**

> I CAN'T BELIEVE I WROTE 15 FILLS FOR THIS ROUND, jfc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by: [luckycricket33](https://luckycricket33.dreamwidth.org/)
> 
> _AU where the main difference is the USAGI on Imaizumi's shirt. It's not a bunny. It's Tsukino Usagi from Sailor Moon._

Imaizumi has explained multiple times, for the record, that he had not been the one to purchase the shirt.

Miki had given it to him on some birthday, and he wears it because it's comfortable, fits nicely, and he isn't wont to look a gift horse in the mouth. He isn't interested in keeping up with fashion, but is nevertheless aware that shirts with poppy, colorful anime girls on them have become popular in recent seasons. It shouldn't automatically be assumed that a person wearing a fashionable shirt is an anime otaku, but it becomes obvious quickly that Onoda Sakamichi is unaware of fashion trends and the rise of pop culture designer shirts.

And Onoda doesn't listen to his first, second, or third explanation of such.

"That's such a great shirt!" the otaku exclaims once more. "It uses original manga art and isn't of Usagi-chan's magical girl form. It's just her in casual, everyday clothes! Very chic and subtle!"

Imaizumi doesn't think it's subtle enough, if it still invites such long-winded praise, but he still isn't sure how to interrupt.

"I knew Imaizumi-kun would come to like the genre! And you've dived straight into the classics!" Onoda is nodding enthusiastically, but Imaizumi is only processing every other word he's saying. "Are you reading through the manga first then? The original anime is also very good of course, though it does make a lot of changes to the source, most notably--"

"Onoda," Imaizumi says, a bit loudly. He hopes he doesn't sound too exasperated. "We're going to be late for practice."

"Ah, you're right! We should get going!"

Onoda spends the next moment in panic as he darts around his classroom, collecting various belongings and shoving them into his bag. "Let's go!"

The walk to the clubroom doesn't bring about a change in subject matter, though Imaizumi supposes that's his own fault for not bringing something else up immediately. As soon as they're on their way, Onoda launches again into babble about things Imaizumi doesn't understand.

"I don't have the original manga myself, but it should be easy to find at Book-Off or even the library! _Sailor Moon_ has such an important place in manga history, of course that's to be expected! I know Imaizumi-kun will enjoy it a lot, especially if you liked _Love☆Hime_!"

Imaizumi feels he needs to stand several feet away from Onoda as he sparkles with obvious glee and excitement, but he does manage to catch some of what the other boy is saying at last. Though he's yet said it out loud, Imaizumi _does_ like _Love☆Hime_. It is a good and uplifting series about hard work and friendship. The former he's always appreciated, and the latter he's beginning to more and more.

"Yeah," Imaizumi says finally. "Yeah, I'll pick up the manga and give it a look." He manages a smile. "If you liked it, then I'm sure it's good."

Imaizumi lengthens his strides and speeds up towards the clubroom in the next moment. Onoda is shining too brightly, and Imaizumi thinks, if he does end up enjoying Sailor Moon, then Onoda just might float right off into space out of sheer joy. It would sort of be appropriate, he supposes.


	2. Onoda & Teshima (situational "AU", G)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by: [sylphofkarkat](http://archiveofourown.org/users/sylphofkarkat)
> 
> _"The manga was better than the anime!" AU_

"Oi, Onoda!"

Teshima waves at him as the team and other club members mill into the club room after practice to change.

The small climber looks like a deer caught in headlights for a moment, but makes a visible effort to calm himself down as he turns to his captain.

"Y-Yes, Teshima-san?"

Teshima laughs. "You don't have to be so nervous all the time," he says. "Good work today! I have some information about a small local hill climb, if you might be interested? It's not a high school race, so there'll be adults in it, but it's good practice and maybe you can learn something from the grown-ups, huh?"

"Oh!" Onoda says. "Yes, thank you! That sounds fun!"

"Yeah!" Teshima agrees. "I was thinking of entering myself, but I think it's better for me to focus on some other things right now. Let me get that flyer for you though..."

The Sohoku captain pulls his bag from his locker, but in the process, he knocks over a small stack of books, which spill onto the floor.

"Ah!" Onoda moves immediately to gather up the fallen books, crouching to pick them up. When he sees the covers of the books though, he stops and gapes, mouth wide and surprise more than apparent. "T-These are manga!" he exclaims loudly. "Teshima-san reads manga!"

"Wow, thanks for announcing that to everyone," Teshima laughs, also crouching to collect his miscellaneous volumes of _Haikyuu!!_ from the floor. Aoyagi glances at them briefly from the next locker, as do Imaizumi and Naruko, but they all turn back to whatever they're doing quickly enough, and no one else is really paying attention.

"S-Sorry!" Onoda stutters. He hands the volume in his hands over to Teshima, who stands again to shove the books back into his locker. "I'm just really surprised! And happy! I'm so happy to know Teshima-san is a fan of manga too!"

"Well, it's not like I was hiding it or anything" Teshima says with a wink and shrug. "Though it _is_ intimidating having an otaku on the team, you know? What if you judge me for my tastes?" He laughs again. "But yeah, I like sports manga. I think they're encouraging!"

Onoda's eyes are sparkling. "They are, aren't they!? They're very similar to magical girl series in many ways! The power of friendship, hard work, and good rivalries trumps all obstacles, though learning to lose gracefully is important too! Is _Haikyuu!!_ your favourite? Have you seen the anime yet? It's much better, don't you think--"

"Whoa, whoa," Teshima interrupts. "One thing at a time, Onoda--"

"S-Sorry!!"

"But most importantly, _what?_ The anime was better?? What are you even saying? Have you _read_ the manga?"

Next to them, Aoyagi is rolling his eyes, while Naruko is alternating giggling and whispering rapidly to Imaizumi. Sugimoto is now looking on curiously, as are several of the first years.

"O-Of course!" Onoda says, pushing up his glasses. "There are only a dozen tankobon out -- it's a quick read, but--"

"Then how can you _possibly_ think the anime is superior?" Teshima wonders incredulously. "I bet you were won over by the music and voice acting? Saying an anime is better for elements not present in the manga is disingenuous, don't you think?"

Onoda's eyes are flashing, though it isn't clear whether it's from excitement or fear. "It's true that the music and voice acting in the series are top notch, but you can't forget that the animation and art is excellent as well! Production I.G. refines and cleans up Furudate-sensei's style in a superior way and the storytelling is also more compact, and--"

"Unbelievable," Teshima cuts in. "Furudate-sensei's art is far better as it is in the manga, raw and full of emotion! It's better for a sports manga to be rough and expressive. The anime takes away too much of that unique style! And so many of the character designs look reminiscent of other series in the anime, whereas they're more memorable looking in the manga!"

The captain's voice rose gradually as he spoke, as did Onoda's impassioned rebuttals. After ten full minutes of strenuous debate, the pair pause to catch their breath. Their captive audience -- the entire rest of the club -- stands in unison to give a too-coordinated golf clap while Naruko laughs loudly.

"Who would've guessed that Perm-senpai was an otaku on level to rival Onoda!?"

"Hey!" Teshima protests, though he doesn't have the energy to give a more eloquent objection.

Onoda laughs tiredly and smiles. "I'm still glad... I'm still really happy Teshima-san is a fan though, even if we disagree about _Haikyuu!!_ "

"Good," Teshima says. "I'm glad you're not judging me for my tastes, even though I'm _totally_ judging you for yours."

Onoda nods, but he doesn't stop smiling.


	3. Onoda & Midousuji (canon divergence, G)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by: [ohmusetta](http://ohmusetta.tumblr.com/)
> 
> _What if Onoda had won their race to the pharmacy._

The small boy with glasses reaches the pharmacy first, and, among other things, Midousuji is confused.

It should be _impossible_ for such a thing to have happened. Sohoku's #176 may have pulled through and ahead of the pack on the first day, against all predictions and odds, but this was another matter entirely. Even as a non-standard zaku, Midousuji cannot see power in the other boy's legs or strength in his stance. He sees a wide, ecstatic smile -- and disgusting sparkles, bright and shining as Onoda Sakamichi dismounts his bike and leans it against the building.

"Ahh! That was a good race, Midousuji-kun!" the small thing says. Midousuji doesn't think it's quite a _yell_ , but it's louder and more excited than normal speaking should be. At least #176 polite, though, and knows how to use honorifics.

Onoda stands next to him while he slowly dismounts, babbling about classic Gundam. "So which Universal Century series is your favourite, Midousuji-kun? You've seen all of them, right? Of course it's difficult to compare anything with the original, but _08th MS Team_ definitely deserves its place as a fan favourite, don't you think? You mention ZAKUs a lot, but what do you think of some of the other mass-produced suits? A lot of the Gouf designs are very cool, but it's so exciting any time they use a BuCUE, isn't it??"

Midousuji leans his bike against the wall of the pharmacy and looks curiously down at the other boy, who does not seem especially bothered by the fact that he isn't saying anything in response. When Onoda pauses for breath after rattling off the names of at least ten different mecha models, he grins up at Midousuji again.

"Ahh, I'm so excited we get to talk about anime! I've never had an anime friend before! Should we go inside? I promised my senpai I'd be right back, but we can still talk while I grab some things! What did you need to pick up here, Midousuji-kun?"

"Nothing," Midousuji drawls, but he turns from Onoda to go inside the pharmacy anyway, and Onoda happily follows after him.

"You were amazing at the finish line today! Maybe you should pick up some protein drinks or snacks? A-Ahh... maybe it's weird for me to say that since we're on different teams? You're very cool though...!"

Midousuji wonders if maybe Onoda has never had anyone to talk to about anime because he isn't even very good at talking about it. Midousuji hasn't ever had anyone to talk about it with either -- or really, anything, for that matter -- but he's sure the glasses boy wasn't doing a good job of it anyway.

"BuCUEs are gross," Midousuji says, and watches for Onoda's reaction carefully. "They're dogs, and their design is stupid, inefficient. They're ZAKUs pretending to be more interesting than they are."

Onoda's eyes are shining. "An interesting position, Midousuji-kun! I'm not sure that I agree, but I think I can understand that argument! They were developed to be the standard desert unit, after all, so the comparison to ZAKUs is apt enough, and..."

Midousuji looks at the shelves. They're in the first aid aisle, and he thinks idly about leaving. It isn't anything to him if he breaks a promise. It's getting late, and if he's going to ride back to Kyoto, he should really get going.

"...the TMF/A-802W2 Kerberos BuCUE from _Stargazer_ was another interesting take on the classic, but I think your argument of trying to become something it isn't definitely applies. I do appreciate that the _SEED_ in general incorporated a lot of classic mobile suit designs into its lineup though!"

Onoda stops again for air, then laughs. "Ahh! I'm getting carried away, aren't I? I should really get back to my team with these supplies... S-Sorry about that!"

He looks up at Midousuji, still beaming. "It was really great talking to you though! I'm really, really happy!! I hope we can talk about anime again sometime! Maybe if I can get past you again in the race tomorrow?" A laugh, then: "Ahh...s-sorry! I hope that isn't rude! Well, um, good night!"

Midousuji watches Onoda positively bounce towards the cashier. He doesn't understand, exactly, what Onoda got out of the conversation with him, if it could be called that. He doesn't understand why he's so happy about it. It's _gross_ , to take in stride so easily the idea that a thing you liked isn't liked by others. It's _gross_ , to be so earnest and optimistic and proper. It's _gross_ to compliment the enemy. Gross, gross, gross.

He leaves the pharmacy and looks at the moon. If he doesn't show up to the race tomorrow, the non-standard zaku will probably be upset, but he supposes there's a chance he could consider it a victory too. If they meet again, will Onoda still want to talk about anime? Midousuji doesn't really care, but. It's a long way back to Kyoto.

He gets on his bike and looks down both sides of the road, then starts back towards the tents.


	4. Imaizumi/Naruko (situational "AU", G)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by: [biiesh](http://archiveofourown.org/users/biiesh/)
> 
> _For home economics class they are paired up to take care of an[egg baby](http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr128.shtml)._

The project is uncomfortable by nature and by design, but it's made doubly so because they _are_ dating, though of course their teacher doesn't know that. It's a coincidence. There are more boys in the class than girls, and both of them are horrible at drawing lots. These facts don't make anything less awkward.

"Let's name him FLAME MASTER!" Naruko suggests energetically, in horrible English, while cradling their five-pound flour sack in his arms.

"Why do we have to name it at all?" Imaizumi grumbles into his hand. "And why is it a boy?"

"Ohhh, did you want a little girl, Hotshot?" Naruko grins and puckers his lips mockingly. "That's so sweet! Do you want someone to dress up cutely and have tea parties with?"

Imaizumi rolls his eyes. "A boy can dress up and have tea parties too, you know."

"Very true, very true, Hotshot. That's very progressive of you!" The redhead's toothy grin doesn't cease. "But you _do_ want a girl, don't you, huh? Why's that? Do you think a girl would be easier to take care of?"

"No, I think they'd all be equally annoying..." Imaizumi shrugs. "We're not naming it 'Flame Master' though."

"What would you name it then?? Something boring and lame, I bet! Flame Master is a flashy and strong name!"

"It's not even a real name."

"Go on then! Pick a better name!"

"Sakamichi," Imaizumi blurts. It's the first name he can think of.

Naruko stares blankly at him, then bursts out laughing. "You want to name our baby after Onoda-kun!?"

Imaizumi can't keep himself from blushing and Naruko claps him a few times hard on the back. "You tryin' to tell me somethin', Hotshot?" he asks, still cackling.

"Maybe the flour sack will grow up to be a climber too," Imaizumi mutters. "Then it can drop itself off a cliff."

"Now, now, I~ma~i~zumi-kun, don't talk badly about our baby Sakamichi! I bet he'll grow up big and strong just like Onoda-kun!"

"I wouldn't necessarily use those words to describe Onoda," Imaizumi deadpans.

"Pffff, okay, okay! Well, we can still hope it's a good climber, right??"

 

~

 

"Oi, be careful, Hotshot!" Naruko catches the falling flour sack deftly, then shifts it into his other arm as he continues to pedal. "You want to kill our baby?! He'll get torn to shreds if he falls!"

Imaizumi rolls his eyes and sighs. "Why did we have to bring it along again?"

"Weren't you paying attention to the rules? Or to life?! You can't leave a baby unattended! Everyone is riding today so no one's available to watch baby Sakamichi in the clubroom."

"I think in life, a person would sit out of practice rather than take their _baby_ on a bicycle climb up Minegayama," Imaizumi grumbles.

"As if I'd sit out on practice!" Naruko shouts. "We're just unprepared today, Sakamichi-chan," he crows to the flour sack. "Tomorrow Papa Shoukichi will have a sling for you so you can sit on my back, all right?"

Imaizumi rolls his eyes so hard he almost crashes into the rail guard at the next turn. Naruko gets ahead of him, and Imaizumi can't find the motivation to properly chase him for the rest of practice.

It's _unsettling_ watching and listening to Naruko speak to the flour sack as if it were actually his child, actually  _their_ child. Imaizumi is prepared to meet the minimum requirements of the project, but he can't imagine ever treating the prop as a real child, or ever having a real child at all. Actively pretending about it is _unsettling_.

 

~

 

"Have you fed Sakamichi-chan?" Naruko asks, three days into the horrible project.

"Yes," Imaizumi mutters somewhere from underneath his arms crossed over his desk. He's sitting with his head face down on his arms; the flour sack is strapped to his back, and Naruko removes it carefully.

"Good," the redhead says brightly. "It's nice to see you finally taking up some responsibility, Hotshot! Isn't that right, Sakamichi-chan?"

A few girls in their class giggle. It takes everything Imaizumi has not to groan loudly. There's only two more days of the project, and then maybe he won't ever have to see a flour sack ever again.

"We don't have practice today, but maybe we can climb Minegayama, anyway, hm?"

Imaizumi starts to respond, but Naruko apparently isn't addressing him.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you, Sakamichi-chan?"

"I think you're starting to lose it, Naruko," Imaizumi says, lifting his head. "You talk to that flour sack more than me."

"Well, _maybe_ more people would talk to you if you weren't such a useless blowhard!"

Imaizumi straightens and glares at the shorter boy. "Excuse me?"

"I'm doing all the work for this project, and you've barely lifted a finger to help raise poor Sakamichi-chan!" Naruko fakes a dramatic sob. "Single parenting is a terrible thing, you know!"

"What the hell?" Imaizumi squawks. "I've done everything you've told me to do on this stupid project! I don't know what else you're expecting!"

"Some initiative, maybe?! It's like you don't care at all about Sakamichi-chan!"

"It's a _flour sack!_ You're already spoiling it for all it's worth! You bought it _clothes!_ "

"It's good to know that you're such an unreliable father! " Naruko huffs. Then, cradling the flour sack, he turns on his heel and leaves the room.

Imaizumi is left to the accusing stares and poorly hidden snickers of the others in the room.

 

~

 

"Naruko..."

Imaizumi stands awkwardly at the corner of the building while Naruko carefully secures the flour sack to his back and adjusts the straps on his helmet.

"You're ignoring me now, huh?" Imaizumi guesses. "I never expected you to take this project so seriously. I knew you really liked kids... your little brothers love you, and you have a bunch of little cousins too... but I guess I never thought you'd actually want kids? But they mean a lot to you, huh?"

Naruko doesn't respond, but is clearly fiddling with his helmet for longer than necessary.

"Sorry," Imaizumi says. "I don't know anything about and don't really like kids. I don't want that kind of responsibility. It's enough trouble worrying about myself. And you. You get into a lot of stupid messes. I don't need another dumb baby to take care of."

Imaizumi sees a grin tug briefly at Naruko's lips, though he turns immediately to hide it.

"I don't know that I want kids," Naruko mutters. "They're fun though. It'd be cool to have one. But they're a lot of work, so if I don't have someone that'll take care of them with me, then I guess it won't happen."

"We shouldn't be worrying about kids right now," Imaizumi says. "It's too early. The whole point of the project is to prove that, right?"

"Yeah," Naruko agrees, uncharacteristically quiet.

"Here." Imaizumi crosses the distance between them and takes the flour sack out of the sling Naruko's made for it. "I'll carry them this time. That way you won't have any excuses when I beat you on the climb."

"As if," Naruko objects immediately, though he lets Imaizumi untie the sling from his shoulders. "Sakamichi-chan is a good luck charm for the climb. It'll be easier to win with him! But that's okay, Hotshot, you can use the luck. I'll still beat you."

Imaizumi smiles. "Loser changes the diaper."

"Loser buys dinner too!" Naruko cackles, swinging a leg over his bike.

"Oi! Let me get Sakamichi adjusted properly!"

"Too slow, Hotshot! You'd be faster if you'd helped out more!"

Naruko kicks off. Imaizumi grits his teeth, but checks twice to make sure the flour sack is secured, then jumps onto his own bike to chase after him.


	5. Aoyagi/Teshima (psychic AU, G)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by: [underscored](https://underscored.dreamwidth.org/)
> 
> _AU WHERE TESHIMA ACTUALLY HAS ESP AND CAN READ EVERYONE'S THOUGHTS_

He tries not to listen, most of the time.

In addition to feeling rude and intrusive, Teshima is easily overwhelmed by other people's thoughts. Few people think in a straightforward manner, and more often than not, he simply _doesn't care_ about their minor preoccupations and mental meandering. Most people are boring, and it takes too much effort to keep up with them.

He can't turn his abilities off, exactly, but others' thoughts become background noise, and he doesn't hear it if he isn't paying attention. They become like the sound of traffic in the city: constant, annoying, but normal.

Sometimes though, it's hard not to listen. When he's alone with someone, it happens often by accident. When the conversation stops, when there's exterior silence, Teshima will hear, and then he'll start talking again, chattering so he doesn't have to think about what others are thinking. What he does accidentally hear will stay with him though, even if it's stupid and mundane. He remembers strangers' birthdays because someone he was with was thinking about it. He remembers other people's dates, their upcoming tests, their homework assignments -- and he'll forget his own.

"Ah, sorry, Aoyagi, do you remember when our history test is?"

The other boy nods. Teshima hears it in his mind and starts writing it in his notebook before Aoyagi says it out loud. The smaller boy then makes a face at him, and Teshima chuckles.

"Sorry," he says. "You said you didn't mind though."

Aoyagi shrugs. Teshima knows he doesn't mind.

"I know it's hard not to do it," Aoyagi mumbles. "I'm slow to respond, and my voice is quiet."

"I could try harder though, if it really bothers you."

Aoyagi shakes his head and smiles. "You talk enough as it is. If you try harder, then I wouldn't have room to speak at all, right?"

Teshima laughs. "I wish you could hear my thoughts too though. Seems only fair that way, since you're the person I hear from most often."

"It's okay," Aoyagi says. "I know what you're thinking."

"Yeah? What am I thinking right now?"

Aoyagi leans over and kisses him. Teshima makes a small noise of surprise, but returns the kiss eagerly. When Aoyagi pulls back, Teshima is blushing bright red.

"We should finish our homework first."

Aoyagi is still smiling. "Yeah, but that's not what you were thinking."

"You're right," Teshima admits. "Fine."

Aoyagi kisses him again.


	6. Izumida/Gou (crossover AU, G)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by: [underscored](https://underscored.dreamwidth.org/)
> 
> _Izumida is a personal trainer. Gou goes to the gym to stare at him._

"Ah, Matsuoka-san!"

Matsuoka Gou smiles brightly and waves as she enters the large, spacious workout room of the gym. "Good evening, Touichirou-kun!"

Izumida Touichirou releases his hold on the abdominal bench and gracefully rises to his feet. Grabbing a towel from the head of the bench, he wipes the sweat from his face and neck as his girlfriend approaches.

"You're here early," Izumida says. He continues to towel off as Gou takes a seat on the empty bench opposite him. "I'm afraid I'm not quite presentable yet."

Gou laughs. "You look fantastic as usual, Touichirou-kun, and Andy and Frank look _better_ than usual!"

"Ahh, you're too kind, Matsuoka-san," Izumida says, blushing. A bit too hurriedly, he turns to place his towel back on the abdominal bench. "There's a big race coming up, and I'll be racing a few of my senpais, so I've been working hard on them. We have to be strong!"

"That's exciting!" Gou says enthusiastically, though truthfully she's distracted by Izumida's huge _teres minors_ and _majors_ , as well as the well toned _latissimus dorsi_. The flex of his deltoids are beautiful, too, as he resets the positioning of the bench, not to mention the slight tightening of his gluts. "Has it been a while since you've seen them?"

"Yes, and it'll be good to see them again," Izumida says, turning back to her.

"The new abdominal benches seem to be working out really well for you," Gou comments, now taking in the tightly coiled muscles of Izumida's _serratus_ and where they connect to rock hard abs. "Have you considered naming your abdominals?"

Izumida laughs a little, the blush creeping back to his neck. "Maybe...we'll see how helpful they are, ultimately. Though maybe Andy and Frank would be jealous too."

"You have weird rules for naming muscles," Gou says, point-blank, with a fond smile.

"A-Anyway.. if you don't mind waiting a little longer, I'll shower quickly and then we can go?"

Gou glances briefly over the rest of the gym, where a dozen of Izumida's well-sculpted students are still working out, and grins. "When have I ever minded?"

Andy and Frank twitch in unison and Izumida isn't able to stifle his reactionary frown. 

Gou laughs. "Don't worry, Touichirou-kun. I still like looking at you the most. Andy and Frank too." She winks.

Izumida and both of his pectorals turn a lovely shade of red. "I-I'll be right back then... Thanks, Matsuoka-san."

"I've told you million times already, haven't I? Call me Kou already!" Gou shouts at his retreating back.


	7. Makoto/Haruka (canon divergence, G)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by: [pichu](http://archiveofourown.org/users/pichu)
> 
> _au where haru never went to australia and realized his dreams._

Everyone is leaving.

Rin is going back to Australia. Makoto is going to Tokyo. Kisumi, too, is going to Tokyo, he's heard Makoto tell Rin. Even Sousuke is leaving to go someplace, though Haruka does not catch where. His classmates scatter across the courtyard after graduation, drifting slowly, one by one, out of the gates, and Haruka is sure, somehow, that he'll never see them again.

The cherry trees bloomed early this year, and the trees are a lush green already.

"Haru," Makoto greets quietly, coming up from behind him. "Nagisa, Rei, and Gou-chan want to go to dinner in a little bit. Rin and his team should be there as well. Will you come?"

Haruka is sure Makoto phrased it that way on purpose. He isn't asking if he _wants_ to come. Makoto knows Haruka doesn't want to come, but he knows, too, that Haruka doesn't want to bother them with his absence.

"Yeah," Haruka says, not looking at him.

Rin is loud at dinner, at the party. He and Nagisa wax nostalgic about a dozen stupid, unimportant things. Momotarou and Nagisa have an eating contest. Rei fusses about wasting food by not taking the time to taste it properly. Nitori fusses about making a mess. Haruka watches his friends and even smiles occasionally. Beside him, Makoto laughs heartily and chatters excitedly about everyone's future plans. No one really says anything to Haruka over the course of the evening, but he can't figure out if it's on purpose, if it's out of consideration or discomfort. He feels half-invisible, and is relieved.

The walk home is quiet, but Haruka can still hear everyone's voices echoing in his head. Even the second years are already thinking about their futures. Nitori and Rei talked about their captaincies and eventual career paths. Momotarou and Nagisa teased their friends and boasted of the places they'd go, once they were free from school. Haruka thinks about his grandmother's house, the walls and rooms he's grown up with, and the fish buried in Makoto's garden.

"Haru," Makoto says, as they approached their houses. "Will you visit me in Tokyo?"

"Yeah," Haruka says, almost automatically.

"Really?"

"Of course," Haruka says, looking straight ahead through the dark trees.

"Will you remember to take your phone around, so I can call you?"

"Yeah."

"If I text you, will you respond?"

"Yeah."

Haruka can feel Makoto smiling beside him. "I'll visit too," the taller boy says. "I'll come back to see Rei and Nagisa at tournaments. Ren and Ran will be mad if I don't visit often, too."

"Yeah," Haruka agrees.

Makoto takes Haruka's hand as they approached the small fork in the road that led to their separate homes. "You'll be okay, right?"

"Yeah."

Makoto squeezes his hand. Haruka doesn't have the energy to squeeze back.

"Good night, Haru." Makoto turns and leans down to kiss the edge of his mouth. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Haruka nods. Makoto lets go of his hand and disappears into the trees. Haruka stands at the fork in the path and savours the smell of spring mixed with dinner on Makoto's breath. He stands until the absence of the person next to him is cold and filled with silence. He stands until he thinks he's used to it, then slowly walks up the rest of the steps towards his empty house.


	8. Rin/Haruka (injury AU, T)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by: [niaocat](https://niaocat.dreamwidth.org/)
> 
> _AU in which Haru suffers a permanent injury instead of Sousuke and, like Sousuke, tries to hide it from Rin. If anyone else knows is up to any potential filler._
> 
> **Additional warnings:** implied sexual content.

The pain comes very suddenly, catching him mid-stroke and throwing him off balance for a brief half-second before he powers through it. It lessens as he swims the next few meters, then flares up again. It's a swift, sharp burning in his shoulder which tingles down his arm, all the way to his fingers. Haruka surfaces almost unwillingly when he reaches the other side of the pool. His arms drop to his sides, but he can still feel the over-warm sensation in his muscles.

Two lanes over, Makoto is still swimming, still facing the sky, and Haruka is relieved. No one else would notice; no one else notices.

"Ah, Haru-chan is stretching!" Nagisa remarks after practice. "That's a first, isn't it?"

"Since Haruka-senpai is going to become a professional, he has to be more serious with cool down stretches now!" Rei says, proudly and with an approving nod.

Makoto helps him reach his toes, pushing down on his back gently as he reaches. His shoulder aches dully, but Haruka doesn't wince. He curls his fingers over his feet and closes his eyes.

 

~

 

"Haru! What's the problem? Your times have been slowing!" Rin's laugh is open and kind, but Haruka feels his face heat up in embarrassment anyway. "Don't tell me the pressure of going pro is getting to you?"

"Race me again and say that," Haruka mutters, letting go of the ledge of the pool and slipping back fully into the water.

Rin grins and slides into the lane next to him. "Isn't that what you said about five minutes ago?"

Haruka loses every race they have that day. He lets Rin gloat and bites back with appropriately snarky remarks, but he thinks Rin can probably see through him anyway. Haruka catches him frowning a few times, sees him watching carefully from behind casual gestures and friendly grins.

 

~

 

"Ah, hey, Rin!" Makoto's voice carries easily through the thin trees.

Haruka lies on his porch and thinks about getting up to go inside. He doesn't want to listen, but his legs don't move.

"Oh..." the cheeriness leaves his friend's voice very quickly. "Yes, I've noticed it a bit too... I agree that something's off." A long pause. "No, I don't really think it's the pressure... even if it's important to perform well, I don't think Haru would be too bothered by it. I think it's something else, yeah... Yeah. I'll keep an eye on him. Yeah. Yeah. I'll definitely let you know if he tells me anything. Okay. Thanks, Rin."

 

~

 

Haruka doesn't want to hide from Makoto because he knows it's pointless, but he doesn't want to ask Makoto not to tell Rin either. He knows Rin will cry. Maybe Makoto will too.

He can feel the green eyes on his back every time he turns around.

 

~

 

"Haru," Rin says, looking up at the ceiling.

Beside him, Haruka buries his face into his pillow, but he knows he can't pretend to be asleep.

"You've hurt yourself, haven't you."

There's no question in Rin's voice, and Haruka is honestly a little surprised. Rin rolls onto his side, slips a heavy arm around his waist, and presses a kiss against his shoulder.

"I'm not an idiot, you know," he mumbles into his skin, soft lips brushing against the the sharp angles of his back. "I can see it when you move."

Haruka curls his hand over Rin's, but doesn't say anything.

"Have you had anyone look at it?"

Haruka shakes his head.

"I'll take you to someone in the morning," Rin breathes against his back. "You're an idiot. You've probably made it worse in all the time you've been hiding it."

Rin squeezes his hand. "You love to swim. I won't let you stop, even if you don't end up following me. I won't let you stop, and I won't let you be in pain."

Haruka sucks in a ragged breath, suddenly aware that he's been holding it. He feels tears stinging in his eyes, and he's surprised.

"Hey," Rin says. "Say something, will you?"

"Sorry," Haruka mumbles. His voice is just barely audible, but it's pitched too high, anyway. The first fat droplet slides down his face. Rin tightens his hold on his waist.

"It's okay." Rin's mouth moves against Haruka's back. "You'll be okay. I'll make sure of it."

Haruka cries into his pillow. Rin breathes against his back, and Haruka is glad he can't see his face.

In the morning, Rin is cheerful. He doesn't accuse. He doesn't press for words. He eats the mackerel Haruka cooks without complaint. They make an appointment to see a doctor. And Haruka is grateful.


	9. Makoto/Haruka (general AU, G)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by: [stereosymbiosis](http://archiveofourown.org/users/stereosymbiosis)
> 
> _"it’s the last train of the night and we’re the only two people in this car and i’m 58472085345% sure i just saw a ghost" au_

Makoto is well aware that he has an over-active imagination.

It's 3:15am, but the sound of the train chugging along on its track is steady, the same speed it always goes. Makoto wonders if the conductor is a robot. They pull into empty station after empty station. There's no trash on the floor anywhere, and Makoto considers the possibility that everyone in the city is somehow dead. There's a man dozing in the corner of the train car, but he hasn't moved since before Makoto got on, and Makoto wonders if perhaps he's dead too.

He regrets staying at the party so late. He regrets a lot of things. Everyone is dead and he hasn't told his parents or siblings that he loves them enough times. He regrets his apocalyptic thinking and having too many drinks. It's hard to say no when the company is paying.

The man in the corner shifts, then yawns and stretches. Makoto jumps visibily and is immensely relieved that the stranger doesn't seem to notice. Makoto notices, though, that the guy is pretty good-looking. And he's moved, so he can't be dead. Good. That's good.

The next station they pull into is also empty, though Makoto thinks, just before they pull away again, that there had been someone standing in the shadows. There are at least a dozen more stops before he gets off. There has to be signs of life at one of them?

His phone says it's 3:32am. He doesn't remember the train ride ever having been so long. He usually passes the time by reading news articles, people watching, or chatting with other commuters in the morning and evenings. Right then though, Makoto can't focus on the tiny text on his phone for long, and he doesn't want to wake the stranger either. He wonders where the other man is getting off. What if he's missed his stop already? He's been asleep a long time. Makoto wishes he had the confidence to nap. The train's wheels on the track go _chk chk chk chk chk_ very steadily.

They pick up speed as they pull away from the station, and Makoto looks up just in time to see a face flash by in the window where there should have only been concrete. Wide, empty eyes and an eternal frown framed by long, stringy black hair.

"Ahhh!!" He yells abruptly and loudly, scaring both himself back to attention and the stranger in the corner awake. "Ahhh!! Ahhhh!!"

The other man on the train rubs his eyes with one hand and stares tiredly at him. "What's the matter?"

"Ahh... Ahhhhhh..." Makoto looks back and forth between the stranger and the place in the window where the face had been. "I... Um... there was... there was a ghost! I'm sure I just saw a ghost!"

Makoto clutches at his bag, distantly aware that he's shaking. 

"It wasn't... a ghost," the stranger says. He yawns mid-sentence, but otherwise sounds very calm and nonplussed. Makoto is a little bit smitten and a little bit incredulous.

"I s-saw it though!" he finds himself stuttering. "It was staring right at me! I know I imagine things a lot, but this was real! I definitely saw it!"

The stranger stretches and gets up from his seat, then sits down next to Makoto, who stiffens. "It was graffiti," the man says, rubbing his eyes again with one hand and putting the other reassuringly on Makoto's shoulder. "Nothing to worry about."

"G-Graffiti?" Makoto doesn't understand.

The man makes an affirmative sort of noise. "It's on the walls between Ginza-itchome and Kyoubashi station. It was a pale woman with black hair, right?"

Makoto is silent. Graffiti. A drawing. The ghost is a drawing on the walls. He takes this train every day though. How in the world has he never noticed? Maybe the man next to him is lying. Maybe he's also a ghost.

"I get off the next stop," the stranger says. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"W-What's your name?" Makoto asks. If he's a ghost, will he have one?

"Nanase. Nanase Haruka."

It's a ghost with a girly name, like him. Makoto feels relieved for some reason.

"I-I get off at the next stop too."

The stranger nods. He's probably not a ghost.

"Tachibana Makoto," he mumbles as introduction. "Are you sure that wasn't a ghost?"

"Yeah," Haruka says with a vague smile. "I drew it there, so I'd know."

Makoto stands up, surprised. "What? Why??" He immediately loses his balance and falls into a seat on the opposite side of the train. "Why would you draw that there??"

The train pulls into their station. Haruka stands and offers Makoto his hand. "A friend thought it'd be funny."

"It's not funny," Makoto mumbles, though he lets Haruka help him to his feet.

They step onto the empty platform and watch the train chug away and disappear down the tunnel. Makoto takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. He suddenly feels a lot better, being off the train. His head is a little bit clearer. They take the stairs up from the platform. The station is quiet, but it isn't deserted. Here and there, people are walking, going someplace. They're breathing, alive.

"Sorry for freaking out on the train," Makoto says with a sigh. "I know I scare too easily."

"It's fine," Haruka says. He doesn't apologise for his drawing being extremely creepy.

"I... I haven't seen you around before," Makoto mumbles, scratching his chin and not looking at Haruka. "Do you take this train often? At three in the morning?"

Haruka shrugs. Makoto doesn't know what that means.

"There's a really good sushi place nearby," Makoto continues, brain just a few steps behind his mouth. "Do you want to go some time?"

Makoto sees Haruka nod and turns back to him. " _My_ sushi place is nearby," he says. "You do stop by often, don't you?"

The next day, after a very miserable morning at work, Makoto stops at Haruka's sushi bar for lunch and can't believe he's never noticed the ghoulish faces in the alleyway mural next to it. He also can't believe he's never noticed how nice the sushi chef's smile is. Maybe it's a ghost after all. He'll have to investigate.


	10. Shinkai & Toudou & Arakita (death AU, T)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by: [biiesh](http://archiveofourown.org/users/biiesh)
> 
> _AU where they're childhood best friends then in high school Fukutomi dies and everything falls apart_
> 
>   **Additional warnings:** major character death (obviously), some cursing

Arakita doesn't show up for the wake, the burial, or the funeral.

Afterwards though, when the families have all left and the clouds roll in to cover the bright sky, Shinkai sees Arakita standing by the grave. Sitting by the grave. For hours and hours. Shinkai leaves when it starts to rain, but he doesn't think Arakita does.

On the first day of school, none of them speak to each other. There's eye contact when they end up in the same classes, but it's brief and they don't sit together. Shinkai thinks it's a little pointless -- Fukutomi's absence is obvious and loud, no matter what distance they put between themselves. Even if they don't stand together as a group of three missing a fourth, it's what they are. There's no hiding the feeling of something missing.

Two weeks into classes, Toudou finally pulls up his desk to sit next to Shinkai at lunch. Arakita lounges on the other side of the room and pretends not to know them.

Toudou chatters about girls and beauty and mountains, then, in an obvious accident, comments, "Fuku would love this weather we're having." He looks immediately stricken by his own words, but Shinkai only laughs fondly.

"He would," he says. "We should go for a ride after school. We shouldn't let it go to waste."

Toudou agrees. Arakita doesn't look at them.

It's a month after the funeral that Arakita decides to speak to Shinkai again. "You talk about Fuku-chan too fucking often," he snarls from the other side of the room. "Why do you have to bring him up all the time? He ain't here! Who cares if he'd like what you've got in your stupid bento today? He isn't here no more, so shut up already!"

Shinkai opens his mouth to reply, but Toudou whirls on Arakita first. "Oh, like you're better? Pretending that Fuku never existed at all? Pretending you don't know us? Pretending we were never friends? Is that the way to deal with things?"

"Shut the fuck up, Toudou! No one was talking to you!"

"And no one was talking to you!" Toudou screeches back. "If you want to hide in your corner with your bad coping mechanisms, fine, but don't butt into other people's conversations!"

"You miserable fucking snot!" Arakita stands and, in an instant, has crossed the length of the classroom and has Toudou's shirt collar in his fist. "Every time you open your pretty mouth, bullshit comes out! Why don't you shut up for once and let other people talk?!"

"Ha!" Toudou shoves hard against Arakita and kicks his shin. "Have you listened to yourself? I'll never understand why Fuku wanted to be friends with an incessant asshole like you!"

Arakita grits his teeth in pain for only a moment before punching Toudou square in the face, blackening his eye. Shinkai sees it happen in slow motion and thinks, maybe, he could have stopped the fight. He could have gotten up the moment Toudou spoke and nipped the whole situation in the bud. But he didn't. He doesn't. He watches as Arakita pummels Toudou and the others in their class scream and yell. He feels detached from the whole thing. Fukutomi would have been the one to stop them, if he were still there.

Arakita is suspended from school for long weeks. Toudou is silent while his bruises heal. He doesn't talk about Fukutomi, or anything else either. Shinkai smiles and talks about all kinds of things, but Toudou stops looking at him now.

In the fall, Toudou transfers to a different school. He disappears without saying goodbye. Shinkai sees him at a convenience store shortly afterwards, but he decides not to say anything.

Arakita never comes back to class. Shinkai texts him a few times, but there's never any response. It's an oddly nostalgic feeling. Arakita has never replied to his texts.

New students come to fill in the empty seats, but the classroom feels empty all the time. Even the teachers seem like ghosts, floating at the front of the room, speaking in words Shinkai has a hard time understanding.

On the anniversary of Fukutomi's death, Shinkai sees his family at the graveyard. They bow their heads at him, but the afternoon is spent in solemn silence. Shinkai aches for conversation, for proper remembrance. When the family leaves, Shinkai wanders the nearby hills and watches the grave. Toudou shows up late in the evening with a beautiful bouquet, but he doesn't linger. Shinkai waits for Arakita, but the other boy never comes.

The apple trees bloom the next day. Shinkai cries alone in his room.


	11. Arakita & Makishima (sci-fi AU, T)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by: [Lira](http://archiveofourown.org/users/lir)
> 
> _Sci-fi AU where Makishima is a researcher with a remote posting on some planet in the space-boondocks studying the (horrifying and absurd) totally fascinating local fauna. Arakita is a now EX member of a smuggling crew. Who just abandoned him on this totally uninhabited backwater planet. Assholes._
> 
> _Except the planet sure is a bit more inhabited than he thought._
> 
> **Additional warnings:** Cursing, non-binary character.

Arakita is definitely going to Kill Them All, at some point, eventually, when he gets off the godforsaken piece of rock he's been abandoned on.

It really isn't much of a rock though. He stands at the edge of a grassy cliff and looks out towards the horizon. There are no rocks to be seen. Everything is vivid and bright -- there are towering purple trees, which only partially cover the lush pink and yellow and golden plants of the underbrush. The trees reach up in twisted, thin shapes, like silly string, or something equally stupid and _weird_.

There's an annoying buzzing noise vibrating through the trees, and Arakita imagines that the planet probably has blood-sucking insects the size of rats because that would just be his luck. There's also some kind of animal in the forest of overgrown weeds making a noise like a car alarm, and Arakita hopes that it's delicious because he is definitely going to Kill It.

When he squints, he sees a tiny black dot just beyond the jungle that might be a building. It's rigid and has sharp edges, but he thinks it's probably a rock, the only rock on the planet, because his life is shitty and there's no god. He's going to die out there, forgotten and useless, at the mercy of the wilds. Maybe the car alarm animal will eat him before he can eat it.

Arakita grumbles, sighs, stretches, and starts to make his way carefully down the side of the cliff. Even if he's going to die, finding out what the speck is will keep him occupied for a little while, anyway.

It takes him a day and a half to get to the black dot. He doesn't encounter the car alarm animal in that time, though he hears it, them, constantly, warbling loudly back and forth at each other at all hours of day. Was it mating season? Are they fucking somewhere out of sight? He spends a lot of time thinking about walking in on some furry cars fucking and gutting them for dinner.

He doesn't though, and finds brightly colored berries and fruits to eat instead. He half hopes they're poisonous, but he wakes up in the morning and doesn't feel terrible, so maybe things would be okay after all.

The black dot is not a rock. It's a small, square building, definitely man-made, and fairly new-looking. Arakita can't figure out where the goddamn door is though, and there don't seem to be any windows either. But if it's a building, then there must be people, right? Someone has to be around for him to threaten into saving him.

Arakita settles in the pink and yellow thickets in the late afternoon while car alarm noises continue to sound off distantly. The planet's sun is bright, but it isn't very hot, thankfully, and he passes the time well enough nibbling on his fruit and thinking of all the ways he can kill his ex-comrades.

The sky turns a green color when the sun starts to set, and at last, Arakita sees movement nearby in the line of trees a short distance from him. At first, he thinks it might be the car alarm animal, or some other thing that lives in the forest. Shiny green hair streaked with iridescent red sparkles strangely in the light of the setting sun. It must be an alien. But it isn't. The unnatural colors are attached to a human head and a slender human body, which slinks out of the jungle like a spider.

The human is wearing disgustingly tacky camouflage gear and is carrying a small suitcase, but Arakita doesn't think they're armed. They approach the black building and press a hand against a seemingly random part of the wall. Arakita darts out of the brush at top speed, grabs the stranger's arm with one hand and twists it behind their back while wrapping his other hand over their mouth.

"Let's go inside," Arakita snarls as a door slides open in the black building.

The green-haired human does not seem especially distressed and walks inside calmly, free hand still holding onto their briefcase.

The inside of the building is unremarkable and looks like a dentist's office, or something stupid and sciency. Arakita shoves the stranger forward then pushes him onto the ground. He draws his knife and points it at them. "Are you alone here?"

"My name is Makishima," they say first, looking up at Arakita with careful, curious eyes. "Yes, I'm the only person on this planet, sho. I don't have a ship. My team will be picking me up from here in about a year, after I've had time to catalog this planet's fauna, and as much of the flora as possi---"

"A fucking _year!?_ "

"Indeed," Makishima says, smiling vaguely. "So if you'd like to get a ride off, I think you should start being a little nicer, hmm? I suggest washing up, too. No dirty hands at my dinner table, sho."

Arakita is definitely, definitely also going to Kill this person.

But he asks, "Is dinner meat?"

Makishima nods and scratches their chin. "I saw your ship drop you here a few days ago. Figured I'd stock up for company, sho."

Arakita hesitates a moment, then sighs angrily and pockets his knife. "Where the fuck's the bathroom?"


	12. Tsukishima/Yamaguchi (Ella Enchanted AU, G)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by: [chiriko](http://chiriko.dreamwidth.org/)
> 
> _ella enchanted au ヽ(´u｀。)ﾉ or rather tadashi enchanted?_

  
Tsukishima doesn't think he's arrogant, exactly, but he knows that Yamaguchi loves him, that he's is _in_ love with him. It's obvious from the way he looks, or at least, the way he looked the last time they saw each other. Tsukishima remembers it easily enough: the wide smile, freckles dark from the summer sun, eyes squinting at him through the sunshine, and a laugh clear and bright, echoing after him. He'd known it then.

And a hundred letters later, he is even more certain.

Their words are casual and cordial, but Tsukishima sees them both reading and writing between the lines. Yamaguchi writes of others' affairs and comments frequently on Tsukishima's travels and adventures in other kingdoms. He rarely writes about his day to day life and answers only occasionally when Tsukishima prompts him for details. Yamaguchi tries to shut Tsukishima out while drinking up his every word and responding promptly and enthusiastically to each letter. These aren't ways to behave with someone you don't care about.

Tsukishima sighs, sets his quill down, and crumples up another sheet of parchment. He _resents_ having to be the one to confess first, but he's _tired_. He doesn't like being made to second guess what he already knows with certainty. He needs confirmation. He flattens another sheet on his desk and dips his quill into the ink bottle again.

 

~

 

He doesn't believe the letter he receives in reply, penned in a stranger's hand, with words he has to reread five times before he's sure of what they say. He still doesn't believe it though.

Shy, nervous and awkward Yamaguchi's eloped? Impossible. To an old miser for their money? Impossible. Yamaguchi Tadashi, who's never once made comment of Tsukishima's status or family or treated him differently for it? Yamaguchi, who has never spoken of wealth or riches, who was happy to skip out on the stuffy speeches of courtiers to goof off and slide down stair railings?

Impossible. Tsukishima doesn't believe it, no matter how many times he reads the letter.

 

~

 

"Yamaguchi..."

The shoe fits perfectly, and he's hunched, clutching his leg, crying and laughing at the same time.

"Yamaguch-- Tadashi, please," Tsukishima says. "Look at me."

The dirty, freckled boy obeys, mouth twitching, eyes shining with tears.

"Tell me what you think of me."

Yamaguchi sobs and closes his eyes, but he obeys; he whispers, "I love you."

"Then marry me!"

He nods; his body trembles as fat tears roll down his cheeks. Tsukishima doesn't feel relief or happiness. His heart is in his throat, and he doesn't understand.

"Don't marry him," one of the stepsisters say.

Yamaguchi nods again, then shakes his head. "I can't... Tsukki."

"Marry him!" the other stepsister says. "Marry him and make us rich!"

"No! Go to your room, Tadashi. You're a mess and no one wants to see you!" the first says.

Yamaguchi rocks in his chair and cries. Tsukishima stares at him, then back to his horrid family, who are all shouting contradicting orders. "Marry him." "Don't marry him." "Do what I say!" "Obey!" "Obey!" Tsukishima feels like he's on the verge of a realisation. It's like an itch in the back of his brain. But the frustration explodes from Yamaguchi first.

"No!" he shouts suddenly, standing. "Shut up! Shut up! I won't do what you say! I won't marry Tsukki! You can't make me!"

"M-Make you?" Tsukishima stutters, taking a step back as Yamaguchi whirls around wildly.

"I won't marry him!" Yamaguchi screams at his stepsisters. "I won't marry the prince!" He yells at his stepmother. He turns back to Tsukishima. "I won't marry you," he says, voice shaking, then kisses him on the cheek. "You're--"

"Why?" Tsukishima grabs his hand. "Why not? If you love me?"

"I can't," Yamaguchi says, looking away. "I can't! I'm cursed and you wouldn't be safe... I...I...please..."

Tsukishima holds on to Yamaguchi as he mutters, suddenly looking bewildered.

"You're free, Tadashi," someone in the crowd of servants says. "You're free!"

Tsukishima thinks he understands. He doesn't let go of Yamaguchi's hand.

"Tsukki..." Yamaguchi straightens slowly, face still shining with tears. He turns back to him, smiling now. "Tsukki, I wasn't ready, a minute ago, to marry you... but now, I--"

Tsukishima is tired of waiting. He was tired waiting a year ago. "You're too slow, Tadashi," he mumbles, and kisses him.

"S-Sorry... Tsukki."

"Will you marry me?"

"Yeah..." Yamaguchi smiles, and kisses him in turn. "Yeah."


	13. Aoyagi/Teshima (Fullmetal Alchemist AU, T)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by: [underscored](https://underscored.dreamwidth.org/)
> 
> _FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST AU...._
> 
> **Additional warnings:** Blood, gore, horror, etc. :')

There was too much blood.

Of course, they had had the materials for an entire human body's worth of flesh, bones, and blood -- and a large human at that -- but it was still too much blood. The entire floor of the basement was covered in it. He couldn't see the ceiling or walls, couldn't bring himself to turn, to look, or to look away.

There was a low, horrible moaning sound, like a wounded animal, and it took Teshima long moments to realize that he was the one making the noise. His leg was missing; he was bleeding out. How much of the blood was his? He was aware of the pain, but he couldn't process it. All of his senses, all of his thoughts were overwhelmed by the wretched sight and smell of the thing at the middle of the transmutation circle, staring back at him with wide, unseeing eyes.

Teshima was suffocating from the smell of it. The _smell_ \-- the stench of rotting, putrid flesh should not have been so strong. Why would it smell like that? Of weeks-long decay, of rancid meat and maggots. There had been no place for such things in the equations.

He sucked in a long breath through his mouth, willing himself not to smell, then closed his eyes and looked away. When he opened them again, he saw the plain stone walls of the basement. The blood had not reached it, but in the same moment Teshima saw that there was no one beside him.

"Aoyagi? Aoyagi!"

Empty shoes and bloodied clothes. The circle's red glow was slowly fading. Realization hit Teshima like a truck, along with a new awareness of the searing pain in his stump. Teshima screamed.

"Aoyagi! _Aoyagi!!_ No! _No!_ "

He was blind in the next moment. Tears overflowed, streaming down his face in thick waves as he alternated between screaming and choking on his haggard breath.

"No! No! Aoyagi... Aoyagi..."

He moved without thinking or seeing, crawling towards one of the suits of armour that ringed half the room. His hands, his fingers were already soaked in blood. Sucking in another desperate breath, Teshima wiped away his tears roughly and braced himself against the metal armour. Reaching inside, he traced a circle -- perfect, as always, after a hundred thousand others he's drawn -- in sticky blood.

"Give him back," he whispered, as new tears blinded him again. "Give him back..."

The armour glowed.

Teshima lost consciousness.


	14. Kuroo/Kenma (cat!Hatoful Boyfriend AU, G)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by: [underscored](https://underscored.dreamwidth.org/)
> 
> _HATOFUL BOYFRIEND AU WHERE KENMA IS THE PROTAG BUT INSTEAD OF EVERYONE ELSE BEING A BIRD THEY ARE ALL CATS_
> 
> **Additional warnings:** Spoilers for Hatoful Boyfriend (Ryouta's route and a little bit BBL/Hurtful mode).

They sit on the park bench in silence. For once, there isn't even the sound of fingers pressing buttons rapidly on a handheld. Kenma stares at the ground in front of them, and Kuroo looks up at the sky. The cool evening breeze is a welcomed reprieve from the oppressive heat of the day, but the pair still shift uncomfortably next to each other, divided by the weight of bad news and quiet revelations.

Kuroo isn't surprised that Kenma knows already. He's always known the human boy to be very smart. Too smart for his own good, and too kind. The scraggly black cat has never taken this for granted. He hopes Kenma knows that too.

"It's okay," Kuroo sighs, after a while. He's tired, and he's not good at being quiet. His tail lashes back and forth slowly, anxiously, betraying his emotions as always. "I mean, I always knew it would happen. Parents always die before their kids, right?"

Kenma doesn't say anything, and Kuroo thinks about when they stood together on one side of a fence, listening to screams and gunshots. Maybe his comment had been insensitive. He didn't forget in the moment. It's not really something he can ever forget.

"We're both orphans now, I guess," Kuroo says.

"Your mom always took care of me," Kenma mumbles, still looking at the ground.

"It's fair," the cat mews. "You always took care of me. I looked out for you, too, of course, weird little human, but yeah." Kuroo looks at the horizon, where the last streaks of sunlight are quickly fading. "I love you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah," Kenma exhales.

"You're going to outlive me," Kuroo says. "But until then, I'll always love you, even if you don't love me back."

"Kuro..."

"You've always been my friend, and you've always put up with me, and that's good enough."

"Kuro, you're an idiot." Kenma mumbles. The human slides a hand across the slick black fur of his back and Kuroo arches into the touch automatically, purring. "As if there can ever be anyone else..." Kenma has the words on his tongue, but he finds that they're still too hard to say.

Kuroo laughs softly, tail swaying more gently now. "I think it's probably easier if you didn't, you know. I hate the idea of leaving you alone someday."

"It's okay," Kenma says, scratching between his ears. "Someday isn't today."

"Yeah," Kuroo agrees. "Someday isn't today."

"I love you," Kenma breathes, just loud enough for a cat to hear.


	15. Hinata & Kageyama (SASO/meta AU, G)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by: [blueminuet](http://archiveofourown.org/users/blueminuet)
> 
> _Shipping Olympics/Shipping World Cup AU: Hinata is the captain of a barely-hit-minimum rare-pair team consisting of his friends who only joined because he begged them. Kageyama is the captain of a huge, fandom-popular ship team, who slowly abandons him because of militant captaining style._

Hinata was exhausted.

He adored his ship and was happy to fight for it, but going at it alone was dispiriting. His friends had signed up alongside him so his rare pair would qualify, but Hinata knew all along that they wouldn't be able to actually contribute. They weren't big on fandom in the first place and had never been interested in creating anything for it -- even though the bonus rounds covered multiple series and dozens of ships, Hinata was left to fight on his own.

He wasn't the most skilled creator himself, either. He leaned back in his chair with another tired sigh. He'd been staring at his main round draft for hours, but nothing seemed to be improving. His writing was juvenile and simplistic, and though he did his best to mimic styles from his favourite fiction authors, nothing seemed to flow quite right. He didn't know if a short sentence would be best here, or if a longer one might read better. He didn't think he'd quite gotten the complex nuances of the characters' relationship quite right, and he was sure there was a better way of addressing the round's theme too.

Writing was so hard. He wished there was someone he could get to look over his draft, but he didn't want to bother his non-participating teammates again. They had been kind enough to throw their names in for him, and that really ought to be enough. Besides, sharing his shippy writing with those outside the fandom was embarrassing!

Yawning, Hinata pulled up Twitter. He'd just take a short break from his fic and see how the other teams were doing. He straightened a little as a rapid stream of tweets suddenly flooded his timeline. One of the other teams seemed to be having some massive drama, and it took the boy a while to catch up with the mess of 140 character blurbs and figure out what was going on. His eyes widened slightly as he scanned through the tweets.

A whole bunch of people -- from one of the most popular ship teams too! -- were quitting the event over internal "irreconcilable differences," and the team would be disqualified for not having enough members. Hinata couldn't believe it. The drama seemed to be centered on the team's captain, who the entire rest of the team hated and resented. Hinata had always thought the guy was sort of intense, it seemed a bit of an overreaction for everyone to quit over it. Even as he scrolled through his timeline a few times, he didn't quite understand. He was sure there were plenty of things being said in private Skype chats he wasn't privy to though.

The team captain, the Kageyama guy, had one tweet to offer in the mess: "Whatever," he'd written, and that was it.

Hinata couldn't help but feel bad for him. He was a talented writer from the handful of pieces Hinata's read, and he obviously really cared about the event and his ship, even if he didn't get along with his teammates. To be forced to quit because everyone else did had to suck.

Hinata went back to look at his main round fill for a bit, but now he couldn't stop thinking about the other team's drama. After another hour of rewriting the same sentence over and over again, the boy sighed and pulled up his DW account to send a message to the disqualified team's captain:

> "Hey, I'm sorry about what happened with your team. :( If you're not super against my ship though, maybe you'd like to join my team? :o I could really use the help! And that way you can still participate! lmk!!"

It was worth a shot.


End file.
